Not a friend?
by jayer
Summary: Recent events led to troubling thoughts and Jai turns to an unlikely person for help. Post When the Levee Breaks
1. Chapter 1

Auggie paused his typing, lifting his head as he sensed someone standing next to his desk.

"Hello Jai." He said rather tartly as he pulled off his headphones. "To what do I owe the pleasure."

"Cafe latte, half caf, one sugar, low fat milk, easy on the cream." Jai slid a cup to Auggie's hand. "And a chocolate chip scone, lightly warmed."

"I will repeat the question. To what do I owe this visit."

"A guy can't bring a friend a cup of coffee?"

"Sure. But number one, we aren't friends. And two, there is a cup of coffee and then there is batting your eyes and flashing your perfect smile at the baristas to find out an order I only treat myself to once a month or when I'm having a very very bad day and Happy Hour is no where in sight."

"Fine. How about I keep hoping we could be friends and it's been an all around bad week. And I need your help."

"Ah, finally the truth comes out. And no. I'm not helping you with Annie."

"Why do you think this has anything to do with Annie?"

"Really Jai. I'm blind, not stupid. I know you have the hots for her."

"And you don't?"

"That's none of your business. Regardless I'm not going to be your wing man. You want Annie, you are on your own. May the best man win." Auggie pushed the cup and bag away and reached for his headphones.

"Auggie, please." There was something in Jai's voice. It wasn't desperation but it wasn't his typical cool confidence either.

"What?"

"I know she blames me for Ben's death so she's not exactly talking to me at the moment."

"She doesn't blame you. But you were connected to him so you remind her of him. She was seriously in love with the guy and he died rather painfully in her arms. Reminders of that are not particularly fun. She'll get over it. In time. Just let her have the time."

"I'm not sure I can do that."

"Sure you can."

"I need help Auggie. Yours and maybe Annie's."

"What's going on, Jai?" Auggie was starting to worry. If whatever this was could shake Jai it was serious. This was not a guy that showed his cards, ever.

"Not here, Auggie. I need to talk to you somewhere else. And if you could bring Annie also."

"And if I don't. If I don't want to mix her up in anything else."

"That's your call."

"I'll think about it." Auggie pulled on his headphones and started typing.

Jai paused in the doorway as he heard a break in the typing. He looked over his shoulder to see Auggie pick up the coffee and take a drink. With luck, it was a good sign.


	2. Chapter 2

"You know we could have just gone to the Tavern."

"Now, now Annie. You really want to tell me that you wouldn't like something different."

"By different you mean something that doesn't have CIA agents at every other table?"

"Well yes."

"If this is an attempt to cheer me up,"

"Would I do that?" Auggie smiled. "Is it working?"

"No. Maybe. A little." Annie kissed him on the cheek. "This place looks expensive."

"Don't worry, it's covered." Auggie grinned.

"Auggie. Annie."

"Jai, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I didn't mention that we were having dinner with Jai." Auggie said 'innocently', "My bad."

"My bad, my ass." Annie pulled away from Auggie's grip. "I'm out of here."

"Wait, Annie, please." Jai stopped her. "It's my fault. I asked Auggie to bring you."

"Why?"

"Because I need help and you are the only people I can trust."

"You trust Auggie? You do know he hates you."

"Hate is a strong word."

"I am well aware that Auggie doesn't count me among his friends. I know that he is fiercely protective, even paranoid about his friends and their safety. And I know that he would take great delight in telling me that I'm a total moron if I'm wrong about something. But that he would help me if I'm not wrong and it could hurt someone he does care about."

"Sounds about right."

"And you want me here because?"

"Because you haven't been at the agency as long as we have. You have a fresh eye on things. And you aren't as invested in all the politics. I need that kind of naivety to keep me in check."

"And Jai is buying."

There was a long pause.

"Okay fine. I will eat. I will listen. If I feel inclined I might even speak. But if I say I don't want to be a part of whatever is going on"

"Assuming you have that liberty."

"Then I'm out. No arguments."

"I can live with that."


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay." Annie said as she pushed away her plate. "What's going on?"

"I have reason to believe that my father is up to something."

"Up to something? Sounds a bit vague."

"Why do you think that?" Annie cut in.

"Auggie and I disagree on a lot of things. But we agreed on one thing. You didn't belong on the Sri Lanka mission. I have been deep cover, I know how it messes with your head. How it teaches you to be. You will do anything it takes to achieve the mission. Even risking innocents. You don't think of them as people but as necessary damage for the greater good.

"I wanted to believe that Ben was past that. That he was telling the truth about changing but I didn't think your life was worth the risk. No matter how important the mission was."

"That's why you turned up, without sanction. Why Auggie helped you?"

"Yeah and for the record Joan ripped us both a new one over that." Auggie smirked. "Although to her credit I don't think she was all that keen on sending you either, she just didn't feel like there was another viable choice."

"Well maybe she was giving me a little credit for my skills"

"Hey, easy there. We both know you're smart. But even the most experienced agent can fall prey to his emotions." Auggie said calmly. "And I speak from personal faux pas."

"You were saying, Jai?"

"I wasn't sure what to do so I went to my father for advice. I was hoping he would tell me how I could convince Arthur and Joan that you needed back up, someone else with you. The magic words or such.

"But the first words out of his mouth were basically get away from Arthur Campbell. His tone was like he knew there was about to be a shit storm raining down on Arthur. And he wanted me safe and sound away from it."

"He's never liked Arthur."

"Or that I refused to work under him but jumped when Arthur called."

"What's his bug about Arthur?"

"Different styles you could say. My father, as he reminded me during that conversation, was all about doing what it takes. Black Ops, breaking the rules. The rogue Ben Mercer was exactly his idea of the perfect agent. In fact I asked him if Ben was taking orders from another boss and he didn't confirm or deny it.

"And he didn't exactly step down voluntarily. New president lead to new director and new priorities. My father didn't fit with the new game rules. So off he went."

"But you think he is still playing the game. Still pulling strings."

"Yes."

"If he is," Auggie interrupted, "It makes sense that his main target is Arthur Campbell. He'd want to get rid of Arthur and get in someone he could control. Or even himself."

"But what would he do?" Annie asked.

"What wouldn't he do?" Jai countered. "You were in London."

"Yes and it was a total asshole move to put the mission before the asset but would he go so far as to purposefully put lives at risk as a mission."

"He wouldn't have to." Auggie cut in. "He just needs to show that Arthur is inept. With Arthur out, the Agency would hopefully ask him to come back to run things while they look for a new DCS and Henry would be in the prime position to suggest someone that fits his needs. And he could do that without putting any actual lives in danger. He may already have."


	4. Chapter 4

Jai waited until the waiter had put down the Creme Brulee he insisted Annie try and filled their coffee cups.

"Okay, I'll bite."

"Liza Hearn."

"You think my father is the leak."

"If he's not the leak he may have helped her find it. Perhaps without her even knowing it was him. Toss some names on a sheet and into her mailbox. Names of agents that are loyal to him that he told to give her information."

"I don't know, it seems a little too trite, too obvious for my father."

"Which is exactly why it would work. It's so obvious that no one would consider your father because it is beneath him."

"If you look at the articles they have the same bug as your father. They are always focused on Clandestine Services and Arthur. And Liza was about to release an article about Arthur."

"How do you know that?" Jai asked, mildly suspicious.

Auggie flinched, realizing that he just outed himself. "She told me."

"Auggie."

"You have to tell him the whole truth."

"What truth?"

"I was sleeping with Liza."

Jai choked on his mouthful of coffee. "What!" He half roared. "Auggie are you crazy. If Joan or Arthur ever found out you would be locked up as a traitor."

"Arthur already knows."

"And he just brushed it off?"

"Not exactly. He called me into his office and demanded to know why I was meeting with Liza. I told him about her hitting on me. It was right after the first article came out. She tried to play that she didn't know exactly who I was but I busted her on it. So she admitted that she was given my name and she figured she could play the revenge card and get me to rat out the Agency. I was about to walk away when she claimed that she actually liked me. I wasn't totally convinced but I figured I would play along and see if she slipped up and gave me a clue about her sources."

"And you didn't tell Joan?"

"No. I knew if I told her she'd tell me to back off."

"Or not. The mark coming to an agent is something we dream of. Joan would be a moron to pull you. But you should have had back up. You had no idea what Liza was up to. What if she was trying to get close to an agent that could be more easily attacked or kidnapped. No one knew what was going on, no one was there to back you up. Working like that is suicide."

"That's what I said."

"You knew?" Jai gasped. "You got Annie involved in this?"

"Not on purpose, okay. I would never mix Annie up in something like this if I could have helped it.

"When Arthur found out he realized that there was a way to work the whole thing to perhaps narrow down the focus. Liza had been asking about one particular company. Arthur had me feed her false information. Information that only a select group of agents would know was false. If she called me on the information we'd know that her leak, or one of them, was coming from that group."

"And?"

"And he was right. She came back and told me that she knew I had played her and she dumped me."

"So which agent was it?"

"I don't know. This wasn't even a week ago."

"So Arthur puts the agents in question under surveillance and waits for one of them to screw up. With luck he'll flip on Henry."

"That could take ages. Meanwhile my father is covering his tracks to make sure there's no proof. We need something now. Something tangible."

"We've got it. Maybe." Auggie grinned. "After Liza dumped me we did the whole 'your stuff, my stuff'. That's when she dropped it that she was writing about Arthur Campbell. But she also packed a toothbrush in the bag she gave me."

"So?"

"I never had a toothbrush at her place. If we pulled an all nighter it was always at my place where I could find my way around easier. I thought she was just scooping stuff up and grabbed it by mistake."

"She was sleeping with her leak."

Auggie nodded. "I guess something in my heartfelt apology for using her was enough to make her decide to drop me a hint."

"Auggie tell me you still have that toothbrush."

"Cleaning service doesn't come until tomorrow so it should still be in the trashcan. I'll take it to Arthur myself first thing in the morning. I'll toss in a suggestion that perhaps he should consider the idea that he's got a Brutus of his own and he should start with those closest to him. Then move on to the agents in the know about the Albion Group.

"The Albion Group?"

"Yeah, that's who Liza was asking about. Do you know who they are?"

Jai shook his head. "No, but I've heard my father mention them. Which means they are likely a Black Ops group."

"And he's connected to them." Auggie smiled. "So one way or another, your father is on the short list."

"Jai, are you really sure you want to do this?" Annie said. "I mean he is your father."

"My father or not, if he is a traitor he needs to be stopped. I'm sure of that. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have asked you for your help."

"Hey what are friends for." Auggie lifted up his coffee cup in a salute.


End file.
